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Md. 'millionaire's tax' debate is back

By Stateline.org Staff Reports

TODAY'S TAKE: A headline in this morning's Baltimore Sun -- 'Maryland lost nearly 30% of millionaires last year' -- is sure to revive a debate over the higher tax rates that Free State legislators imposed on millionaires in 2008. At least eight other states this year followed Maryland's lead and raised income taxes on the wealthy. Read More

SC: Decision on Sanford prosecution in hands of attorney general who is running for governor

By Ben Szobody, The Greenville News

The question of criminal prosecution of Gov. Mark Sanford on 37 charges of violating state ethics law now rests in the hands of state Attorney General Henry McMaster — who is running for Sanford's job. Read More

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RECENT STATELINE.ORG STORIES


	OH: Home sales surge in Ohio, nationwide in October CLEVELAND -- Sales of new and previously owned homes in Ohio rose 3.6 percent from September to October, according to a Monday report from the Ohio Association of Realtors.
	WA: Big demand, grim outlook for state Basic Health Plan Washingtons popular — but financially pinched — Basic Health Plan now has the dubious distinction of having more people on the waiting list than are enrolled.
	MO: Nixon pledge to insure every child loses punch Gov. Jay Nixon ran for office last year on a platform of insuring every child. But as governor, he has resisted a proposal that could immediately cover thousands of Missouris 108,000 uninsured children.
	NJ: Christie meets with Rendell on economic development New Jersey Gov.-elect Christopher J. Christie has been reaching across the aisle to Democrats since Election Day, and yesterday he reached across the Delaware River to one more member of the opposition party: Gov. Rendell.
	FL: Landowners on Florida beaches fighting to be sand owners, too DESTIN, Fla. -- The sugar-white sand that stretches from Slade and Nancy Lindsays deck to the clear, green waters of the Gulf of Mexico is some of the finest in the world. Tiny, uniformly shaped quartz crystals make the beach that stretches along the Florida Panhandle unique, experts say. So what could be wrong with creating more of it?
	AZ: Arpaio leads GOP gov. candidate poll The best bet for Republicans to keep the governors office would be to choose Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio as the partys nominee, a new statewide poll shows.
	IL: Quinn expects action 'rather quickly' on Thomson CHICAGO -- Gov. Pat Quinn said Monday he expects swift action on a proposal to sell a northwestern Illinois prison to the federal government to house Guantanamo Bay detainees, while a leading Republican critic, Congressman Mark Kirk, moderated his rhetoric on the issue.
	VA: Kaine doesn't say no to possibility of a tax increase Facing a projected budget gap of as much as $3.5 billion, there is no doubt that the two-year spending plan being prepared by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine will include cuts.
	GA: State prisoners clogging local jails Two decades ago, DeKalb Countys then-Sheriff Pat Jarvis hauled two busloads of inmates to the state Capitol and parked them there. The dramatic move was aimed at getting the state to address a backlog of prisoners in his jail.
	US: Right and left join to oppose government in criminal cases Conservatives and libertarians are joining civil liberties groups in saying that the criminal justice system is a part of government that must be contained.
	NC: Leaky tanks drain state's money North Carolina is struggling to find money to clean up thousands of underground tanks that are leaking gas and oil into the dirt and water.
	KY: Beshear asked to halt executions for study of Kentucky's death-penalty system Gov. Steve Beshear has been asked to halt all executions until a 10-member team of state lawyers and former judges recently appointed by the American Bar Association can assess Kentuckys flawed death-penalty system.
	NJ: Some Democrats back off bid to legalize gay marriage in New Jersey It was not on the ballot, nor was it a top-tier issue in the New Jersey governors race this fall, but the push to legalize same-sex marriage in the state could become a casualty of the election results.


	Tax revenue down in at least 44 states TODAYS TAKE: Tax collections declined in the third quarter in the 44 states for which early data are available, according to a report released today (Nov. 23). Even North Dakota -- which has weathered the recession better than most states -- is feeling the effects.
	Weekly wrap: Forecasting revenue is a lot like predicting the weather these days Indiana is mulling changes to how it estimates monthly revenues, while several states are considering mergers and consolidations of government agencies, universities, school districts and more to save money.
	Economy to sway 2010 gov races The tax hikes that so many states levied to plug holes in their recession-ravaged budgets this year could endanger a few incumbent governors’ careers in 2010 when 37 gubernatorial contests are at stake.
	Beyond California: States in Fiscal Peril In its new report “Beyond California: States in Fiscal Peril,” the Pew Center on the States shows that some of the same pressures that have pushed California toward economic disaster are wreaking havoc in a number of other states, with potentially damaging consequences for the entire country. Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island and Wisconsin join California as the 10 states highlighted by Pew’s analysis.
	36 states may miss Real ID deadline TODAYS TAKE: While Congress debates national health care legislation that could put new fiscal burdens on the states, the nations governors are pushing Capitol Hill for a reprieve from another costly federal program that states have long criticized: Real ID.
	More lottery games on the way TODAYS TAKE: No state currently offers its lottery players the chance to play both Powerball and Mega Millions, but expect both lottery games to be offered in some states soon.
	Tax talks already under way TODAYS TAKE: Emerging budget gaps already are leading to talk of new or higher taxes and fees in some states, well before lawmakers return for regularly scheduled legislative sessions early next year.
	Illinois offer reignites Guantanamo debate TODAYS TAKE: The prospect of creating thousands of jobs in Illinois has led Gov. Pat Quinn (D) and other Democrats to offer up a little-used, maximum-security prison in the state as a potential destination for detainees now housed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. As economic development projects go, however, few are as politically explosive.
	Budget insiders see worse ahead in Calif., Mich. Two of the states hit hardest by the Great Recession–California and Michigan–are bracing for an even tougher time making ends meet next year, putting big spending cuts or outright elimination of some services on the table, top budget officials from both states said Friday (Nov. 13).
	Weekly wrap: Reports spell deep trouble The recession has cut so deep that state governments will suffer for at least 10 years — or what the National Governors Association bluntly calls "the Lost Decade." That was among the conclusions in a trio of reports this week that should raise eyebrows over just how bad states finances have become.
	'Political downsizing': Coming to states? TODAYS TAKE: In western New York State, voters frustrated with their economic situation on the local level are choosing to reduce the number of seats on their town councils. In continuing tough times, will so-called political downsizing spread to statehouses?
	Labor flexing its muscle in states TODAYS TAKE: State jobs have been a common target for governors and lawmakers seeking budget reductions. But labor unions in many states are fighting back, sometimes winning court decisions and political concessions to stave off cuts.
	'Maine Miracle' faces challenge TODAYS TAKE: Even as other hard-hit states hiked personal income taxes this year to generate revenue, Maine drew national attention for doing the opposite. But the Maine Miracle may face a challenge at the polls next year.

DAILY STATE NEWS

CA: Schwarzenegger taps Abel Maldonado for lieutenant governor
State Sen. Abel Maldonado, a moderate Republican from Santa Maria who has parted with his caucus on key votes at the request of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, has been chosen by Schwarzenegger to be the next lieutenant governor.
Los Angeles Times
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NY: Paterson threatens to keep lawmakers in Albany for Thanksgiving holiday
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. -- Gov. David A. Paterson said today he would consider keeping the State Legislature in session through Thanksgiving if lawmakers can't agree on a plan to wipe out the state's $3.2 billion deficit.
The Buffalo News
Read More

MI: Dental crisis looming in state, experts say
Jacqui Day hasn’t seen a dentist for a checkup for more than a year. And she’s bracing herself for the dull, throbbing pain ahead.
Lansing State Journal
Read More

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